


And Then Some

by bookworm03



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Athletes, Alternate Universe - Skating, Childhood Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-24 12:06:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13810851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm03/pseuds/bookworm03
Summary: Ben Wyatt had only been on the ice for about 10 minutes when a purple beanie and the tiny body attached to it came flying at him... Figure Skating AU.





	1. Phase 1: Childhood

**Author's Note:**

> In celebration of the Winter Olympics being over and me having a lot of feelings about them I decided to write this to get through the post-Games slump. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy. As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated <3.

**Ben: Age 10**

Ben Wyatt had only been on the ice for about 10 minutes when a purple beanie and the tiny body attached to it came flying at him. He yelped as she launched into his arms and caught her awkwardly to keep them both from crash to the frozen (and bumpy) pond below. He heard her giggle and set her down with a scowl, a pair of bright blue eyes looked up at him and his scowl deepened.

“What’s your problem?”

The girl giggled again and skated off just as Andy came up beside him. Andy groaned and slapped Ben on the arm.

“Sorry about that?”

“About what?”

“That’s my little sister, Leslie. She’s kind of weird.”

“What’s her problem?” He asked, watching Leslie twirl daintily down the center of the pond while a few of the other kids took notice. One of the older boys growled at her to stop taking up the entire ice so they could play. She stuck her tongue out at him and kept twirling while calling back “You don’t own the pond!”

Andy handed Ben his stick. “She’s going inside soon anyway.”

_Phew_.

“You could’ve killed us you know.” He snapped at Leslie when he saw her taking her skates off a few minutes later. Robert Knope hovered a few meters back and was just out of earshot. Leslie’s face scrunched up as she removed her beanie. 

“No I couldn’t have.”

“Yes you could’ve! I could’ve dropped you and the ice could’ve cracked and we both could’ve fallen through!”

“Well, I didn’t think that. You looked very strong and I was right.”

Despite himself, Ben felt his cheeks grow hot. “Um, what?”

“Uh huh! Also, this ice is super thick.”

“Oh.” He lowered his head. “Well, you better go so you don’t get hit with a puck.”

“I know, that’s why Daddy’s here.” She pulled on her boots with a grunt and and stood up. Out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw Robert approaching to help Leslie gather her things. Ben handed her her skates.

“Well, it’s been fun Benny, we should do this again sometime.”

Ben did not have a chance to answer, or even ask where she heard his name, before Robert had scooped her up and was carrying her back up the slope to the nearby houses.   

*****

“Hey Les, can we stop watching the boring stuff and put on the game? Ben came over for hockey.”

Ben lifted his gaze to the TV and saw Leslie was observing two people glide down the ice in sparkly costumes. Her eyes were wide and she was swaying with the music.

“But I’m watching this.”

“Pleaaaase, Les? You can see boring figure skating any time. They’re not even doing any cool jumps.”

Leslie’s eyes narrowed. “It’s called ice dancing and it’s beautiful and it’s better than dumb hockey where people lose their teeth so _hmph_.”

Marlene Knope heard them fighting and came into the room.

“What’s going on you two?”

“Leslie’s hogging the TV.”

“I didn’t know the game was on, it’s not my fault!”

“Ben’s here and we don’t want to watch this.”

“He called it boring!”

“She called hockey dumb!”

“IT _IS_ DUMB - ”

Marlene held up her hand and they both went instantly silent.

“Leslie, you may watch your skating in our room until bedtime. Andy and Ben can watch down here.”

“YES!” Andy fist pumped the air and turned the channel. Leslie pouted and said he could’ve at least waited for that pair to finish, before tearing upstairs at full speed. Ben took her seat.

“Mom, can we have a soda?”

“No.” She said and then headed back into the kitchen. Andy sighed.

*****

“Uh, hey.” Leslie was on the pond again, back to twirling, only this time it was 7am and no one else was there.

“Daddy’s over there.” Leslie pointed and waved at him. Ben could only imagine her dragging her father outside in the bitter cold at the crack of dawn.

“Can I skate too?”

“It’s a free pond.” Leslie shrugged and then went back in the other direction. She was fast. Probably almost as fast as him.

Maybe they could race.

He asked her as soon as he was standing up, the sound of their blades slicing through the ice music to his ears. Her nose crinkled.

“Only if I can try something after.”

“Am I gonna have to catch you?”

“I’m really not that heavy, but no, I want to try something else.”

Ben rolled his eyes, but then grinned.

“Okay, deal.”

All morning, she made him try things. She made him turn with her and tried to match his speed of rotation, she made him take her by the arm and put his hand on her waist while she backed up around the edge of the ice. She sandwiched herself in his hip crease and they took steps in unison.

He was out of breath by the time they were done and his palm was sweaty from clutching hers. She beamed.

“Thanks, that was fun!”  

Ben sort of, reluctantly, had to admit that it was. Not that he ever wanted to do it again.

*****

**Ben: Age 13**

“Ow!” Leslie yelped as she hit the ice, hard. Ben was already hovering over her, pulling her up swiftly and helping her brush off the snow.

“Sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She patted her butt. She looked up as Linda skated over and said something about Ben’s bad edgework and his blade clipping Leslie’s. He apologized a second time and Leslie just grabbed his hand.

“Let’s go again.”

He almost reminded her he was supposed to be at hockey practice, but he really wanted to get this footwork sequence right. He nodded and Linda pressed play on the boombox. Their music started and she counted them down.

Leslie smiled and Ben felt her ribs expand as she inhaled sharply against him.

He did the same.

*****

**Leslie: Age 11**

“I’m so nervous.” She blurted out. Ben squeezed her hand, mostly trying to keep her from running out the door before their names could be called. They’d competed of course, but never in front of a crowd this big. Also, it was the first time they’d competed since Ben had given up hockey entirely and Leslie really wanted to win, for him and for them. She wanted to prove he’d made the right decision.

“Leslie.” Ben took her other hand. “It’s gonna be okay, win or lose.”

He nodded reassuringly and the corners of her lips twitched upwards.

“Okay.”

Later, the podium was too high so Ben had to lift her onto it. She giggled a little too excitedly as their names were called and he took her hand and lifted it into the air to the sound of applause. Her feet ached and her dress was itchy but she felt like she was floating.

When they put the gold medal around her neck Ben gave her fingers a squeeze.  

*****

**Leslie: Age 13**

“What are you two doing tonight?” Marlene asked as she slipped some lipstick into her handbag. She looked beautiful and her dad looked equally handsome in a tuxedo as he came down the stairs.

“Andy’s at that party.” Leslie reminded her as Ben stole a handful of her popcorn. Marlene raised an eyebrow.

“Ben, you’re not going?”

“No. I’m gonna hang out here. We might get a movie.”

Marlene raised an eyebrow as Robert draped her jacket over her shoulders.

“You don’t want to go see your friends before you leave for Michigan?”

In two days time they were moving, _moving_ to Michigan to train with a new coach. Her mother was taking a summer sabbatical to get them settled and then they would have a chaperone. Apparently they'd been marked as  _the one's to watch_. 

“Not really.” Ben shrugged as Leslie squirmed a little closer to him. He seemed so much bigger lately, as if he was taking up more space. He was lifting a lot of weights in the gym after all. His knee pressed into hers.

“Have fun at the party.” Leslie waved. Robert slid an arm around his wife and she murmured something to him as they exited the house.

“So,” Ben tossed a piece of popcorn at her face. Leslie squawked. “Wanna go to the video store?”

“Yes, please!”


	2. Phase 2: Adolescence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos, reblogs and comments. They are always so appreciated and definitely keep me writing. I hope you guys enjoy this next installment.

******Ben: Age 17**

“That was great.”

Rebecca stretched and Ben ran a hand over her abdomen, her long dark hair spilling onto the pillow. He just nodded and waited for his breathing to even out, which did not take too long. When it had, he sat up.

“I gotta go.”

“You just got here.”

“I came here as soon as practice was done. I gotta eat and then sleep and then - ”

“Yes, Ben, I understand how it works.”

Ben pulled on his boxers and stood up. He knew she was watching him and he felt her fingers trail down his back. He turned around and kissed her palm.

“It’s just the way it is.”

“I know.” 

“It’s our first senior competition.”

“I know.”

“So - ”

“You have to go. I get it.”

Ben knew she didn’t, not really, but he couldn’t expect her to.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” He leaned forward and pecked her mouth. She smiled and let him pull away.

*****

**Leslie: Age 16**

She glanced over from where she lay as her PT worked his fingers into Leslie’s quad. Ben was collapsed on the floor watching her with a sleepy smile on his face.  

“Are you nervous?”

“Of what?”

“Losing.”

“We came third last year.”

“I know but this year we’re the favorite and what if we’re disappointing?”

“Our program is better. We’re better.”

She sighed and reached for his hand. He squeezed her fingers.

“It’s going to be great, okay?”

She smiled. “Okay.”

At least they were in it together. 

*****

**Leslie: Age 17**

They were at a party.  

They were at a party and less than a month earlier they had won Nationals, which was still so surreal. People kept coming up to Leslie to congratulate her, and Ben was off somewhere with Andy who had come from college for the weekend. Ann and Donna were telling her about where they’d applied for school. Ann was hoping to go to Michigan which made Leslie so happy she was practically vibrating with joy. Her best friend in the entire world in the same state as her? She wouldn’t know what to do with herself.  

Although, to be honest, Ben was sort of her best friend these days. Sure, she called Ann everyday (sometimes two to four times a day if she needed advice on something and had a break between practice sessions), but her go-to for most things was Ben now.  

Case and point, when she went into the kitchen to get a soda (she didn’t trust the  _ non-alcoholic  _ punch they’d put out). She felt Ben come up behind her and his arm slung across her shoulders. He yawned into her hair and she giggled. This was his way of checking in. They’d been up since 4:30 and Ben was definitely not a morning person. 

“Hi.”

“How’d you know it was me?”

She snorted and he chuckled into her neck, his arms tightening around her.

“You can go.” She said simply.  “Andy can take me home.”

“I don’t want to go.” He said around another yawn. Leslie smiled.

“You know Mark’s into you now, right?” Ben said suddenly, arms dropping to her waist. Leslie’s pulse quickened.  

“He is?”

“Yeah.” Ben turned her around. “He asked if we were a thing.”

“Oh.”

“I told him no.”

“Right. Obviously.” For some reason that made her stomach clench, even as she said it.

“But that I didn’t think you were focused on that or anything right now because, Worlds.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay, you’re right.” She sighed. “I just feel like I’m going to be a virgin until we’re done competing.”  

Ben frowned deeply. “Don’t worry about that.”  

Leslie raised her eyebrows, but Ann called her name and that distracted her. Ben grabbed her hand.

“I’ll leave when you leave.”  

She smiled.  

“Okay.”  

*****

**Ben: Age 19**

“I can’t sleep.” Leslie pouted. Ben groaned as she crawled into his bed and burrowed his head into her chest. He combed his hand through her hair.

“You need to sleep.”

“I’m so excited and nervous and even more excited I feel like I’m about to explode.”

Ben knew the feeling. They had their first skate for Worlds the next morning and they’d only arrived in Paris the day before. Leslie, of course, had wanted to sightsee and she’d even convinced their coaches to let them have a few days off practice after the competition was done.

“Are you going to stay in Paris?” Leslie asked.

“Well, I’m not leaving you here alone.”

She giggled and he rubbed her back.

“Go to sleep.”

“I can’t.”

“Close your eyes.”

“No.”

He tickled her side and she squealed and tried to roll away. When she did fall asleep it was tucked snugly under his arm so she'd stop squirming. 

*****

He hadn’t exactly planned to kiss her on the ice in front of a lot of people and an even larger TV audience, but they’d skated so well and he could feel her energy and excitement buzzing in his own veins and when he pulled her upright and grabbed her for a tight hug his lips just found hers.

It was a quick peck, more on the corner of her mouth than anything, but he would watch it played again and again on a loop later. Especially when after they did press they insisted they were not dating -  each other or anyone.

She did call him her best friend though, tied with the beautiful Ann Perkins she’d added.

But they’d won. Barely, by the skin of their teeth, they’d squeezed out a few extra points with a super complicated curve lift that gave Leslie fingerprint bruises on her thighs, but it had worked. 

On the podium Leslie had cried and Ben had kissed her head. 

Now they were wandering Paris, eating beignets stuffed with chocolate, powdered sugar all over their faces. No one knew them here and it was nice to be anonymous after several days of unanimity. Leslie rested her head on his shoulder as they waited to cross the street. 

“I love this.”

“Paris?”

“Paris, winning, all of it.”

Ben grinned. “Me too.”

*****

**Ben: Age 21**

Skate America was in less than two weeks and their program still felt off. Bruno was telling them something about reacting to each other more instead of focusing on the technical. Ben had already mentally calculated how many points they could add with a few tweaks to the choreography, but apparently that wasn’t the problem.

“We won last year.” Leslie growled. Bruno touched her cheek and lifted her eyes to him.

“The field is more competitive. You need to connect with each other so your audience connects with you.” He said, eyes never leaving Leslie’s. Bruno gave Ben her hand. 

Ben sighed and drew Leslie in, forcing himself to main eye contact even as she started to laugh. Bruno snapped at them to be serious.

“This is your best friend, yes?”

“Yes.” They both answered without hesitation. Bruno nodded.

“When you are skating they must be more than that.”

Bruno moved Leslie’s hand to Ben’s chest and he inhaled sharply. Leslie smiled and his chest tightened.

Maybe Bruno was onto something.  

*****

**Leslie: Age 19**

The crowd erupted as soon as the music stopped and Ben lifted his head from her chest and threw his arms around her, lips finding her cheekbone. Leslie wondered if she would ever stop crying after a skate like this, but it was just so many feelings. Ben squeezed her tightly and she just squeezed back until he pulled away and twirled her around him to take their bow.  

Maybe they wouldn’t win, the team from Germany was amazing and they were definitely the favorite this year, but Leslie would take a second place this time around. It had all just felt so good and magical and exactly how she’d wanted it to feel. Ben’s face suggested he was thinking the same thing.

His fingers tangled with hers in the Kiss & Cry as they waited for their scores, Bruno and Marta sitting on either side of them. 

Ben kissed her knuckles when she saw they were in second place overall.

The Olympics were in 11 months and she fully intended to be on top of the podium then.

*****

“I had sex.”

Ben’s eyes went wide and Leslie gulped.

“What?” 

“I had sex. With Jeff.”

“O-oh. How...how was that?”

“Fine.” Ben was making a weird face. Maybe she should’ve just waited and called Ann later. “We’ve been dating for three months.”

“Right.”

“I didn’t want to wait any longer.”

“Uh huh.”

“Why are you being weird?”

“I’m not.” Ben snapped, starling her. “Let’s just skate, okay?”

Leslie reached for his hand but he ignored her and skated off.  

Later that night, she did call Ann.

“He’s jealous.” Ann said immediately. Leslie frowned.  

“Of what? He’s had plenty of girlfriends.”

“But he loves you.”

“Not like that.”

“Yes, like that. He’s never had to share you before.”

Honestly, he barely had to share her now. They took nights off from each other after practice because they spent twelve hours a day together and had only recently stopped living in the same house. Having sex with Jeff didn’t change that.

“He loves you loves you and not just as a friend loves you.”

Leslie gave her head a shake. That couldn’t be true. Ann was smart about a lot of things but she was wrong about this. Leslie was certain. 


End file.
